Machine foe making shoe buttons



(Model.) j E 2 sheets-sum1. l M. M. RHODES.

MACHINE EOE MAKING sEoE BUTTONS.

. Patented July 12,1881.

L L INTENTO ATTORNEYS.

(Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. M. RHODES. MACHINE FOR MAKING SHOE BUTTONS.

No. 244,310. Patented July 12,1881.

MAX/vw ATTORNEYS.

l INVBNTOR:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARCUS M. RHODES, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSlG-NOR TO M. M. RHODES dr SONS, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE ,FOR MAKING SHOE-BUTTONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,310, dated7 July 12, 1881. Application filed November 22, 1880. (Model.)

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, MARcUs M. RHoDEs, of Taunton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Making Shoe- Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate to machines for forming the heads of the buttons from papier- 1o mach blanks, cutting oi the wire blanks, and

forming the eyes and pressing the buttonheads upon the shanks of the eyes automatically and by successive operations in proper order.

The invention consists in mechanism of novel construction and combination forfeedin g, holding, and bending the wire blanks, and for feeding the papier-mache blanks, pressing them upon the wire, and shaping the head; also, in devices for insuring discharge of the button; all of which will be described in detail hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section on line .fr fr of Fig.`l. Fig. 3 is a face view of the bending mechanism on line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line z z of Fig. 3, showing the cutters and bending-dies, and Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the same parts. Fig. 6 is a side view of the feed shuttle and race. Fig. 7 is ahorizontal section of the same. Fig. 8 shows a button-eye as bent. Fig. 9 is a detail view in side elevation of the lever l (which actuates the rock-shaft, whose arm carries pin i) and its connections.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

I will irst describe the mechanismfor feeding, cutting, and bending the wire, which parts are at the left hand ofthe line y, Fig. 1.

A is the bed-plate, and B the top plate, of the machine.

a is a feed-tube, through which the wire c is fed.

a2 is a stop-screw, against the end of which the wire abuts.

b b are the feed-rolls.

c c are springs placed to support the blank when cut off.

d isa cutter placed to act close to the end of feed-tube a.

d is a holder, placed to bear on the blank next to the stop-screw a2, and acting, in connection with cutter d, to hold the blank upon the springs c.

h is the bending-die, having a recessed end fitted for projection under the cutter d and holder d', and iitted for reciprocation at right angles to the line of feed.

t' is a pin extending vertically from above downward in front of die h, to serve as a mandrel upon which the blank is bent, and kk are clinchers, fitted for movement to and from each other in front of mandrel t' for completing the bending and forming the eye. The end of die h is recessed in proper shape for pressing the ends of the wire blank upon the mandrel Above die 7L is a plate, h2, covering the recess, so that the bent blank shall be held in so long as the die is projected. The mandrel i Works through an aperture in plate h2, the eye being thereby formed between die h and plate h2, while the shanks will project beyond the ends of said dies in position for receiving the head-blank.

The shafts of feed-rolls b are geared together and operated by a ratchet-wheel, f', and pawl, which pawl is operated by connections from a lever, h', moved by a cam, t.

. The cutter d and holder d are carried by a lever, kf, that is raised by a cam on the shaft l and moved down by a spring, 7a2.

The pin i is carried by an arm from a rockshaft, fw, that is fitted in suitable bearings on the top plate, B, which rock-shaft is in connection with a lever, l', acted upon by a pin,

Z2, on the side of the cam-operating lever k', so

that the pint' is raised for a moment at the proper time and is brought down again by a spring.

The die h is moved by a cam, m, which forces it forward and back.

The clnchers L are operated by cams m acting on slides r, that move the elbow-levers r', which operate the slides, to which are attached the clinchers. press the legs of the staple together, and are in width somewhat less than the shank of the completed eye, so that as they press the two members together they raise a lug or projection on the end of the shank, as shown in Fig. 8, which lugs assist in retaining the shank in the papier-mache head. 4

The mechanism for pressing the papier-ma- These clinchers act to che blanks upon the shank of the eye and for forming the head is as follows:

n u are the holding-jaws, pivoted on a slide, o, and provided with springs o2, acting to close them, set-screws n being provided to limit the closing movement. The jaws are recessed at their outer ends to receive the papier-mache blank, and such recess is extended through the side of the jaws at which the blank is fed, as shown in Fig. (i.

1J is the head-former, carried by a slide, 11', that is fitted for movement through slide o so that the header p may work between jaws n. The slide 0 is reciprocated by cams o', the header p by an eccentric, s, and the cams o and eccentrics are carried by a shaft, t, which also carries the operating-cam t of the f'eed mechanism, next described.

Upon the bed of the machine, at one side of jaws n, is fixed a bar, o, grooved on one side to serve as a slide or raceway, and formed at the inner end with a pocket, o', opening at the upper side to receive the papier-mache blanks from a tube, a3, or other feed device.

In the slideway of bar u is a slide or shuttle, q, formed at its inner end with a thin plate, g', that passes in front of pocket fu and over the recessed ends of jaws n as the slide is moved inward. The slide q is moved inward to carry the blank to the jaws by a spring, q2, and withdrawn by a lever, s', acted on bycam t. The action is that as the slide moves inward it carries forward the lower blank in pocket o and presses it between the jaws, which are opened by the pressure to allow the blank to pass into the recess when the jaws close. The plate q prevents the blank from becoming misplaced before it is held firmly by the jaws, and to prevent the blanks iu the pocket from rolling out there is a projection, fu?, at the end of the pocket, which projection is inclined so that as the slide and blank move inward they are pressed sidewise as they pass over the projection.'

The operation of the combined mechanism is as follows: The end of the Wire having been.

moved forward against the stop, the cutter cl moves down during a pause in the feed, the wire is cut oft', and, the holder d moving down at thc same time, the blank is pressed upon springs c and carried down below the lower side of plate h2. The die 7L then moves forward, catches the blank at its mid-length, presses it upon pin fi, and by the shape of the recess in the die the blank is bent around the pin into the staple form shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5. The clinchers 7c then move forward and press the two legs of the staple together and `form the eye. The clinchers then retreat, and the eye is held between die h and plate h2. The blank for the head is now brought forward by slide q. The slide then retracts, the jaws move forward with the blank, and-it is pressed on the shank of the eye and held against the end of die h and plate h2 while the header p, moving forward, opens the jaws u and presses the blank into the required-shape for the buttonhead. The die h then recedes, and pin i rises for a moment, thereby freeing the eye, so that the button can drop. The jaws n and header p also retract, the jaws at the same time closing. To insure discharge of the button the lever l', operating pin t', is extended above alever, y', that carries a clearing-plate, u, projecting upon the face of the plate h2, so that as the pin t' rises by movement of lever l the clearer u will be forced down and strike the button in case it adheres, and force it out of the machine. When pin i again descends levery and clearer u are raised by a spring, i

It will be seen that the plate h2 and face of die h serve as an anvil for receiving the pressure while the blank is being pressed upon the shank of the eye and while the head is being shaped; also, that the papier-mache blank is not perforated previous to being forced yupon the shank. Beingy pressed upon the shank while in form of a blank previous perforation is not required, and complication of mechanism is avoided by that method.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a machine for making buttons, the combination of cutter d, holder d', springs c, and pin or mandrel t', with the wire feeding and bending mechanism, substantially as shown and described, for operationas specified.

2. In machines for making buttons, the combination of the reciprocating cutter d, holder d', springs o, reciprocating die h, pin or mandrel t', reciprocating clinchers k, together, and with lmechanism for feeding the wire,.substan IOO .tially as shown anddeseribed ,for operation as i set forth.

3. In machines for forming buttons, the recessed reciprocating bending-die h and `fixed anvil-plate h2, combined together, and with the reciprocating head-former, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In machines for forming buttons, the pivoted holdingjaws n, slide o, and reciprocating former p, combined with recessed bending-die h andplatehz, substantially as shown and described, foroperation as set-forth.

5. The reciprocating clearer u, reciprocating die h, plate h2, reciprocating holding-jaws n, and reciprocating former v p, combined for operation substantially as shown. and described.

6. In machines for making buttons, the combination of reciprocating mandrel i, xed anvil-plate Ih2, reciprocating die h, and head-forming mechanism, substantially as shown and described, for operation as specified.

. 7. In machines for forming buttons, the reciprocating cutter d, holder d', springs .0, reciprocatin g die h, pin or mandrel i, reciprocating clinchers 7c, pivoted andreciprocating jaws a, and reciprocating head-former p, `combined together for successive operation in cutting the Wire, bending the wire blank to form Tan eye,

pressing the head-blank upon the shank of the eye, and forming the head,substantial1y as head-blanks forward, substantially as shown shown and described. and described.

8. In machines for making buttons, the feedslide q, grooved bar u, having pocket v', re- -5 cessed holding-jaws n, slide o, carrying the Witnesses:

jaws, and reciprocating header p, combined to- J. ALFRED MESSENGER, gether fox` feeding, holding, and carrying the E. L. ELLIS.

MARCUS M. RHODES. 

